


the arc of a love affair

by mnemosyne_musings



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, tumblr fics and prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29820774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mnemosyne_musings/pseuds/mnemosyne_musings
Summary: Shorter fics from tumblr and prompts:London, 1814Looking around at the crowds of people on the ice, River let out a small sigh, watching as her breath clouded instantly in the frosty air. All around her, people were enjoying the fair; eating handfuls of warm roast chestnuts, perusing the stalls, laughing and mingling on the frozen river. A handful of braver souls had even managed to find some ice skates and were carving up the ice slightly further downstream. River could hear their shouts and giggles of delight from time to time over the bustle of the crowd.
Relationships: Eleventh Doctor/River Song, The Doctor/River Song
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	the arc of a love affair

**Author's Note:**

> I thought if I posted this here as the start of a collection then it might inspire me to write some more prompts. This one inspired by sonickedtrowel when the Thames (kinda) froze a bit earlier this year. Feel free to hit me up on tumblr if you've got a burning desire to see anything in particular - my username is the same as here.
> 
>   
> Work title from Hearts and Bones by Paul Simon
> 
> Chapter title from Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

_London, 1814_

Looking around at the crowds of people on the ice, River let out a small sigh, watching as her breath clouded instantly in the frosty air. All around her, people were enjoying the fair; eating handfuls of warm roast chestnuts, perusing the stalls, laughing and mingling on the frozen river. A handful of braver souls had even managed to find some ice skates and were carving up the ice slightly further downstream. River could hear their shouts and giggles of delight from time to time over the bustle of the crowd.

Sighing wistfully, she checked her watch. The Doctor had appeared in her cell and whisked her off earlier that day. He’d resisted her attempts to distract him and instead had ushered her to the wardrobe with strict instructions to dress up warmly and period-appropriate. Then he’d landed them here before telling her he had some final preparations to make and he’d be back very shortly. 

‘I’ll be back in a jiffy,’ he’d called as he disappeared back through the TARDIS doors. Only that was now half an hour ago and River was vaguely starting to wonder if she was going to be left in Georgian England for a significant period of time and if she should have brought her vortex manipulator along. 

Idly browsing one of the stalls, she ran her fingers over a green silk scarf before picking up a small brooch to examine it more closely. 

“Can I help you, miss?” the stall owner asked as she shook her head politely and put the brooch back down. 

Turning away, River wandered over to the next stall, looking over the assortment of crystals and talismans that were scattered over the table. Not seeing anything of interest, she made to walk away when suddenly a hand shot out to grip her wrist. Whirling round in surprise, she saw the stall owner, an older woman with a purple shawl covering her hair, standing by her elbow. 

“You don’t want any of these trinkets, dear,” she cackled, her grip on River’s wrist surprisingly strong, “Fortune telling is what you want. Come inside.” 

River fixed a smile on her face and shook her head. “That’s very kind, but no.”

She tried to prise her wrist free but the other woman only seemed to tighten her grip. “Come on, dearie,” she wheedled, “Only tuppence for your palm-reading.”

River resisted the urge to glare as she finally wrenched her arm free. “No, thank you,” she repeated more forcefully.

Cursing the Doctor for his timekeeping, she turned to march away but as she did do the other woman called out. “Ha’penny then, just because it’s your birthday.”

Stilling instantly, River turned slowly back to her. “How did you know it’s my birthday?”

The stall owner simply cackled again before turning and heading into the tent set up behind the stall. River stared at her for a moment, contemplating walking off before she shrugged and followed her. What was the harm in some foolish trickery after all? The Doctor seemed to be taking his time so she might as well keep herself entertained. 

Pushing aside the heavy brocade curtain, she stepped inside the tent. Inside there was a heady scent of incense in the air. Squinting as her eyes adjusted to the dim candlelight, River watched as the woman took a seat behind a makeshift table strewn with playing cards and stubs of candle wax.

She gestured for River to sit facing her across the table. River glanced around before perching on the rickety chair, carefully arranging her skirts as she did so. 

“Now, let’s see what we can tell you.”” the fortune teller said, holding out her hands as River slowly offered hers up as well, “You’ve made a long journey to get here, haven’t you?” she added after a moment.

“You could say that,” River snorted, “Although,” she added pointedly, “Isn’t that a little bit cliched? What are you going to tell me next? I’m going to meet a dark, handsome stranger, get married and settle down with three children and a dog?” River quipped as the other woman ran her fingers over the palm of her right hand, “Because I’ll tell you for free that isn’t really my style.”

“No, it isn’t,” the fortune teller muttered, half to herself. She peered more closely at River’s hand before turning to the other hand and running her thumb over that as well. “There’s a darkness in your past I can see.”

River resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Honestly, was this woman going to trot out all of the fortune telling tropes in one sitting.

“So much darkness,” she continued, her head bent over River’s palms in concentration, “So many shadows, my child,” she added as River flinched involuntarily.

“I’m hardly a child,” River retorted, a slightly sharp note to her voice, “Believe me.”

“No,” the fortune-teller looked up then and fixed River with a sharp gaze, “But you are someone’s child. Although, your relationship with your parents is-,” she paused briefly, “Complicated.”

“Well, whose isn’t?!” River shrugged breezily, “Now, really, as enlightening as all this is, I really should go and find-“

She made as if to stand but the fortune-teller gripped her hands tightly and shook her head. “There must be something you want to ask me, dear?”

“Only how you have the nerve to pull this charade off?” River retorted sweetly, “Was outright robbery too gauche for your tastes?”

The fortune-teller simply laughed, her gold hooped earrings catching the light as she threw her head back. “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” she said with glee, leaning forward and looking down again at River’s hands, “But then, you’ve needed to be. Being trapped in all those- those cages.” Swallowing heavily, River shook her hands free and stood up, smoothing down her skirts. Looking up at her in amusement, the fortune-teller continued as if River wasn’t glaring daggers at her. “There is lightness in your life now though. You have love.”

River took in a sharp breath. “A lucky guess,” she conceded with a shrug, “Plenty of us love someone.”

“No,” she shook her head, “You _have_ love. You love and are loved in return. So very deeply,” River stared at the other woman as she voiced something River only very seldom acknowledged to herself. How much the Doctor felt for her after all? “It has set you free. Now?” she added, sitting back in her chair and looking appraisingly up at River, “Are you sure there’s nothing you want to know? Nothing in your future?”

For a moment, River simply held her gaze. Her words from a few minutes ago came back to her _‘…settle down with three children and a dog…’_ because, there were days, just occasionally, when she did wonder if any chance for a slice of ‘normality’, whatever that was, had entirely passed her by. She could ask? She didn’t need to have details? Just a little hint, that was all.

She opened her mouth but before she could formulate the question, a familiar voice cut through the silence.

“Rivah! Where are you? I’m back!”

Starting suddenly, she turned her head to the front of the tent as she heard the Doctor’s voice approaching. Turning back to the fortune-teller, she hesitated for a moment before shaking her head. “Spoilers,” she murmured, half to herself before throwing a couple of coins on the table and then turning to leave.

Pushing back through the heavy curtain, she caught sight of the Doctor a few yards away.

“There you are!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands together in excitement.

“And what time do you-,” River stopped as she suddenly caught sight of the singer and grand piano over the Doctor’s shoulder, “Doctor, is that Stevie Wonder?!”

“Ha! I told you it was a good surprise!” he nodded and grinned at her delightedly as she gazed back up at him before flinging her arms around his neck.

“Thank you, sweetie, it’s a wonderful surprise,” she murmured.

He hugged her tightly for a moment, inhaling deeply before letting go and holding out a hand. “Care for a birthday dance, Doctor Song?”

Back in the tent, the fortune-teller stared after her for a few long moments as their voices drifted back through the tent.

_“Doctor! Is that Stevie Wonder?”_

_“Ha! I told you it was a good surprise!”_

She turned her gaze back to the table where her tarot cards were laid out face-down in front of where River had been sitting. Reaching out, her hand hovered over one of the cards for a moment before she shook her head and withdrew it. “Spoilers,” she whispered softly as she left the cards as they were.

\--


End file.
